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Parade planned for long-time Hope trucker

Parade to be held one month to the day Jason Hahn died in trucking accident
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Hope truckers are being asked to shine up their trucks for a parade April 7, honouring the life of long-time Hope resident Jason Hahn.

Hahn, who passed away March 7 in a logging truck accident days before he was set to come home to his wife Carmen, was well known in Hope. “He had just taking a load up in the mountains…I’m not sure but it sounds like the load shifted forward, causing him not to be able to steer, which took him over the bank,” said his wife Carmen Hahn. He is also survived by his children Clayton and Mikayla.

Born and raised in the community, it was a crushing blow for those who knew him to hear the 44-year-old had died.

“He’s the kind of guy that would do anything to make somebody happy,” said friend Dusty Smith, who also worked with Hahn on his trucks. In fact, the first truck Hahn drove was a ‘69 Haines owned by Smith’s father. “He’d go out of his way to make sure other people had something…He’d suffer himself to make sure you had something, he’d give you the shirt off his back.”

His openness towards people from all walks of life led Hahn to have a variety of friends and connections.

“He was always open, it didn’t matter what people’s pasts were or anything. He never judged people, he just accepted them for their face value to him,” said friend Lori Isbister.

Hahn was a very hard worker, “he had a passion for truckin’ and wasn’t afraid to work hard, long hours to provide for his family,” read his obituary.

“He was a really fun loving guy, he loved to get muddy and spray people with mud. He’d work hard, hard, hard and then had fun. We had fun,” Isbister added.

Even after moving to Merrit 11 years ago, the family was in Hope most weekends. An avid camper and mud-lover, Hahn would have been going for the first camping trip of the year this weekend, had he still been alive.

This camping trip will be one of remembering Hahn, his sense of humor and his love for camping and getting muddy.

“We were going to kick off the camping season Easter weekend,” Isbister said. “He’s the hub that brought us all together, so it’s going to be a hard one, most definitely…There’s going to be some hard moments, no question.”

The truck parade will start at the Silver Skagit Mechanical yard at 11 a.m. Around 40 trucks will then drive out to the Jones Lake exit and back into town, taking Wallace Street up to 6 Avenue to the curling rink. Those interested in participating should call Dusty Smith at 604 869 1736.

A Gofundme page set up to help the family has received $22,270 of an original goal of $10,000, the page states funds will be used for costs the family incur.